


Noise

by skysedge



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Drabble, F/F, Flirting, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Gen, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-12-12 19:31:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11743677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skysedge/pseuds/skysedge
Summary: Y’shtola had ample opportunity to marvel over the acoustics inside The Rising Stones while she tried to study over the continuoustap tap tapof Yda’s feet against the floor.





	Noise

**Author's Note:**

> I had a plan for a drabble. This wasn't it.

The Rising Stones being made of, well, _stone_ meant that the rooms were perfectly formed echo chambers. Even the slightest sounds would bounce from wall to wall, down corridors and up from the floor, ricochet down from the ceiling. It was marvellous, really. Truly something to behold. Y’shtola had ample opportunity to marvel over it all while she tried to study over the continuous _tap tap tap_ of Yda’s feet against the floor.

Yda’s boots were metal, and heavy, and made a decisive ringing noise whenever they connected with the stones underfoot. Whether she was trying to tap out a tune, angling for attention or honestly hadn’t noticed how much of a racket she was making, Y’shtola couldn’t be sure and was determined not to ask. She had things to do. They both did. Surely Yda would get bored of just perching on the edge of the table and go and busy herself sooner or later.

Narrowing her eyes, Y’shtola straightened her back with an audible crack and tried to focus on reading once again. She’d studied for longer periods than this before, there was no excuse for getting distracted. Admittedly the book was heavy going, written in an irritating looping hand that was almost illegible. Studying the Lifestream was fascinating; unfortunately not every book could say the same. Still she was determined to persevere, poring over each page in search of relevant phrases and words and running one finger down the page as she went.

_Tap tap tap._

The pages she had skimmed through began to outnumber those she had left. She risked a glance at Yda to find that she hadn’t moved an inch other than the incessant swinging of her feet. Although it was hard to see where she was looking with her mask in place as always, Yda gave the distinct impression of staring blankly into the middle distance. She was humming to herself softly in time with the tapping of her boots, for all appearances content to sit in silence. Having been distracted for long enough, Y’shtola turned her eyes back to the dreadful book and continued.

_Tap tap tap._

It was mostly useless information. The author had been intent on explaining their own life in great detail while skimping on the magical theory. With only a handful of pages remaining, Y’shtola was forced to accept that it had been a colossal waste of her time.

_Tap tap tap._

And Yda’s too, she supposed. Still she had to finish now that she had come so far. She skimmed the pages with perhaps less care than she could have until a quiet laugh caught her attention.

“Yda,” she warned without raising her eyes.

“Sorry.”

_Tap tap tap_ followed by what could only be described as a giggle.

“Sorry!”

_Tap tap t-_

“Oh really,” Y’shtola snapped the book shut a few pages early and raised her eyes to her friend who was by now helpless with laughter. “Yda, just _what_ is so funny?”

“It’s… it’s your… you…”

“Yda you’re _wheezing._ ”

“Just _look_!”

Yda raised a finger and pointed to a spot just behind Y’shtola’s shoulder. She turned, fully expecting to see something completely unextraordinary. The room behind her was empty; no visitors, no items out of place, nothing whatsoever, only her own tail curled at the legs of her chair. Her ears twitched in annoyance.

“And what exactly am I looking for?”

“Wait for it,” Yda said, still snickering.

“For wh-“

_Tap tap tap._

_Twitch twitch twitch._

“D’you see?” Yda crowed. “It’s _brilliant_!”

_Tap tap tap._

_Twitch twitch-_

“That’s enough of that, thank you.”

It took a monumental amount of concentration for Y’shtola to keep her treacherous tail from twitching along with the tapping of Yda’s feet as she started up again and she was sure it was showing on her face. Yda shuffled around the edge of the table until she was sitting next to the book, still laughing.

“Aw come on, Shtola, I think it’s cute!”

“Just how long exactly was I doing that for?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Yda made a great show of shrugging. “Maybe half an hour?”

“’Maybe.’”

“So the book was really good, I take it?”

It was vexing. Yda could be daydreaming one moment and astute the next, an irritant and then a comfort with barely a pause for breath. It was impossible to stay angry at her when she was all giggles and energy, a childlike force of nature. Y’shtola merely stared at her for a moment, pondering once again the nature of The Rising Stones. How cold the stone rooms would have felt had Yda not been there to fill them up with her noise.

“It was wonderful,” Y’shtola said at length.

“Are you _blushing_?”

Y’shtola silenced any more questions by taking another heavy book from the pile beside her and slamming it down on the table between them. Spinning it around to face Yda, she raised her chin.

“If you’re going to insist on staying here then you can help me with this one.”

“I wanted to ask if you were up for a sparring match.”

“After,” Y’shtola promised, unable to keep from adding. “If you’re good.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

Nevermind that there were plenty of others Yda could spar with. Nevermind that a sparring match with Yda meant writing the rest of the day off to exhaustion. Opening another book for herself, Y’shtola gave Yda a smile.

“Ready?”

“Yes ma’am!”

For a time they read in comfortable silence. This book was better, more neatly written, more relevant. Perhaps it would be a productive day after all.

_Tap tap tap._

Y’shtola reached for a quill and some paper to make notes and pointedly ignored Yda’s muffled laugh.

_Twitch twitch twitch._

“Just don’t call me cute again.”

“All right.”

This sort of noise wasn’t so bad, really.

 


End file.
